Food Allergies: What You Need To Know
According to FARE —Food Allergy Research and Education—millions of people in America are allergic to as many as 170 foods. The symptoms range from mild itches and hives to severe complications such as a tight throat and difficulty in breathing. In the worst case scenario, one can get anaphylaxis, which is a severe allergic reaction that’s often fatal. How Allergies Work A food allergy, at its most basic, is a medical condition that arises when your immune system misreads a protein in a certain food. The immune system responds by attacking said protein. These otherwise innocuous proteins that cause mild to severe allergic reactions in people are called allergens. Which Foods Cause Allergic Reactions? Although the culprits are various, major known allergens are milk and eggs (dairy), nuts and peanuts, soy, fish and shellfish, and wheat. Others, like sesame, are just being discovered. Are Allergies Common? They’re very common! According to FARE, as many as 15 million Am...